ALTON, Ill. (Jan. 17, 2017) – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest mass torts firms, is pleased to announce that the Illinois Super Lawyers has rated five of the firm’s shareholders as among the top attorneys in the state for 2017. The firm’s honorees, who all are listed for their work in Personal Injury – Products: Plaintiff, are Chairman John Simmons, Managing Shareholder Michael J. Angelides, and Shareholders Perry J. Browder, Brian J. Cooke and Randy S. Cohn.

Only the top 5 percent of all attorneys in Illinois are selected as Super Lawyers each year. Published by Thompson Reuters, Super Lawyers rates attorneys based on peer nominations and evaluations, as well as independent research. Lawyers are ranked in more than 70 practice areas and are selected in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Attorneys cannot nominate themselves and cannot pay to be included on the list. The Illinois Super Lawyers list is published in the Illinois Super Lawyers magazine and in Chicago magazine. For more information, visit www.superlawyers.com.

A Super Lawyer since 2012, Simmons founded the firm in 1999 and has overseen some of the biggest verdicts and settlements in the history of asbestos litigation. Motivated by his belief of giving back to the community, Simmons Hanly Conroy employees have donated $1 million to local charities and events through the Simmons Employee Foundation. In addition, the Simmons Mesothelioma Foundation has donated more than $20 million to cancer research. Simmons holds a law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.

Angelides, who was listed as a Super Lawyer also in 2016, oversees the firm’s asbestos, toxic tort, pharmaceutical injury, intellectual property infringement and commercial litigation practices. He has been instrumental in helping to grow the firm’s reputation as a national leader in representing victims of asbestos-causing mesothelioma against some of the largest companies in the nation. Angelides earned his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and also has a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College.

As head of the firm’s Asbestos Group, Browder manages the firm’s nearly 40 asbestos attorneys and oversees all asbestos cases. Named as an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2011, Browder has worked for more than two decades helping numerous families resolve hundreds of million dollar-plus cases. He successfully secured one of the largest asbestos verdicts in the country, including a $250 million verdict against U.S. Steel. Browder holds a law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University.

Also an asbestos attorney with the firm, Cooke was named a Super Lawyer for the second consecutive year. He previously served two tours of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, for which he served as both a prosecutor and company commanding officer. During his final year of active duty, he served in Baghdad as a legal adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice. Cooke earned his law degree from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Law and he holds a Bachelor of Science from Spring Hill College.

Cohn has been listed as a Super Lawyer since 2015. He oversees a team of attorneys and investigators with an exclusive focus on helping victims of asbestos exposure. Since joining the firm in 2004, he has recovered more than $100 million on behalf of families throughout the country injured by mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases. Previously, he focused his practice in aviation litigation and also has experience in securities litigation, as well as complex financial and business legal matters. Cohn earned his law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University.

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